Large corporations can get into trouble for bad behavior and still do lucrative business with the Department of Defense.

The watchdog Project On Government Oversight (POGO) has compiled a list of the top 10 defense contractors that includes not only what they’ve earned from the Pentagon but also how much they’ve paid in penalties for misconduct. Collectively, the companies on the list have forked over $7.3 billion in penalties since 1995.

McKesson, which made $6.2 billion providing healthcare services and information technology to put it sixth on the list, paid the most in penalties: $2.05 billion for 24 instances of misconduct. Its biggest single penalty was in 2005, when it paid $960 million to members of a class action suit in connection with accounting improprieties in a company acquired by McKesson. More recently, it paid $150 million earlier this year because of reporting problems for controlled substances. The company has been led since 2001 by CEO John Hammergren and the value of company’s shares have gone up several-hundred-fold since then.

The next highest penalty total was paid by Boeing, $1.5 billion for 64 instances of misconduct. The aircraft and technology company made $20 billion on its defense deals.

Lockheed Martin, the biggest contractor, had the highest number with 79 instances and paid $751 million in penalties.

Comments

Feel The Bern
3 years ago

If the government were serious about ending the corruption they would return the inventory from the criminal corporations and demand a FULL REFUND, just like any good customer does. Take out the greed and easy (pronounced unearned) profit motive and corruption
suddenly becomes much less an issue.